How many empty, yet overladen, vessels in the harbour, RR? Oh Kampuchea, my Kampuchea, how do we count the skulls, the vision's turned some blurry, the spectacles all crystal knocked?
==================

A million signatures on the Whitehall petition? How much of that is just simple a superiority complex against our American cousins. Dumb, stupid, rednecks I guess.

What I do not understand is that the UK has its own border wall, it is called the sea and we have done everything in our history to defend it. We still do. How can we lecture on immigration when we refused to join Schengen? Why do people think the Calais refugee camps existed?

As someone who travelled across the UK border many many times with non British passport holders, the Brits have always been "famous" for the trouble they caused normal border traffic (non-refugees). They made many nationalities think "they were lucky to enter Britain". The superiority complex and off-hand manner of British Embassy staff re visas and passports was designed to make the process as unpleasant and off-putting as possible. It was belittling.

Trump hasn't banned muslims, he followed through with a temporary ban on previously highlighted entry routes. It is isn't perfect. Bur perfectly within the rights of a country to enforce. Maybe they should change the petition approve button to a THUMBS UP to mimic the Colosseum.

This perfection that Trump is suddenly setting a precedence against doesn't exist and certainly not for the UK.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/aug/16/anjem-choudary-convicted-of-supporting-islamic-state

If non-extremist/radicalised Moslems living within the UK, EU and USA could provide some assistance to the countries that have provided them with a safe refuge from whatever they were seeking to escape from, their problems would not keep following them, and causing problems for those offering sanctuary.

MH, I often observed that the US border controls, when crossing near Seattle-Vancouver, were much more polite than the Canadian ones (I travelled on a US passport, but my companions often didn't).

My bigger complaint was simply the queues at North-American points of entry when arriving by plane: Often long for everybody, especially when compared to Heathrow. (It was quite refreshing when coming the other way to see lines that moved quickly and agents who didn't seem slightly angry or aggressive at merely having to be dealing with you at all.)

Michael I have driven that Seattle Vancouver border post (on my way to driving around Washington State).

"Is this your car Sir?"
"No, it's a hire car"
With a lot of friendly mockery, "Oh you're a Brit?, only Brits call them those, please pull in behind behind the building." Inside the atmosphere was like walking into a small-town courthouse in mid America somewhere.

I got stopped for speeding by the Highway Patrol. I made the mistake of getting our of the car, which he took as sign of aggression. Once I played the polite, stupid, ignorant Brit, he was fine and let me off with a warning.

I took it for granted when going back the other way, and had a lot of explaining to do about my trip. The contempt the Brits show for the Yanks, isn't anywhere near what the Canucks show for them.

JFK was awful re the Officers. Surly, miserable, one syllable speech. I thought it was deliberate to detect any lies. The old terminals at JFK were disgusting places probably to work at too. And when I flew into new terminal the whole experience changed including passport control.

I was talking to someone who was involved and said it was an awful entry to the country. They acknowledged the problem and were trying to change it. This was about 10 years ago. But as someone who brought non-British girlfriends and wives back the UK, and travelled in with non-British companions, the UK was no better. Just with a "please" and a "thank you".

MH- I have to agree with you re UK border controls. I have taken US guests to places in Europe and the hostility they face wither at UK airports or at Dover is quite shocking. I got to showing them the flight tickets to convince them that these Amuricans were not going to be long-term residents. However, why not English-speaking, hard-working folks rather than the people who sit in Piccadilly and beg?

MH, OK, we're getting off-topic, but the funniest encounter I ever had at that border was in the 1980's. Three of us crossed the border by car, bearing UK, US and Australian passports. Our accents were variously varied mixtures of English, American, Australian and Northern-Irish. Probably not even obvious to us.

The border agent, who had been slightly pompous and officious, got a bit matey with us when trying to hand us back our passports based on who's accent he thought should match the passport. We weren't immediately helpful, but everyone got a good laugh in the end after he'd embarrassed himself about five times.

5 Mins ago LeftMob told us popularism is a really bad thing that led to Brexit and Trump

Now, it Celebrates Popularism
.."Ooh look at this ..Lots of people signing a petition and demonstrating against Trump !"
20 min of reports on the 10pm news today

.--------------
Ironically the MSM build up that hysteria
By day after day reporting half a story on Trump and then manufacturing False-Narrative from that
eg
- He got a low inauguration crown
- He's obsessed and called the press liars
- May should tell him
- He's Banning Muslims

Milo on Climate Change...

And on today's events... I haven't gotten around to processing everything yet. It certainly isn't to do with an American President tightening entry rules for 3 months (the non-MSM media is full of the documented hypocrisy of those attacking Trump, when they where in power they were confronted with the sames issues.)

One thing that did occur to me was the rejection of Trump's state visit, is the same as creating a "safe space", a country wide one. My son is mystified by the whole thing. I explained to him that the whole purpose of state visits was DIPLOMACY. To let the establishments of two countries get to meet and know each other. And we have given state visits to some pretty dodgy countries in the past.

So really it again about shutting down the debate. If you disagree with Trump the State Visit is the accepted diplomatic method off getting views across in a civilised (and non threatening manner.) Even completely allowing peaceful protest along the streets.

Despite the wall-to-wall coverage and open support of the MSM, I cannot believe the irrationality and simple stupidity of the left will serve them well in the long run. Maybe I am wrong, interesting times, but I am interested the thoughts of everyday people. Why isn't there this level of protest for things closer to home?

One layer of society has found its voice in anti-Trump rhetoric and actions. What about the other layers of UK society? What are they thinking, I cannot see their views? The same happened with Brexit and of course the same thing happened with Trump.

Whilst those demonstrating against Trump comparing him to Hilter, don't you think actually these same people that would have been appeasers of Hitler? You could look at like that also. Because they are promoting similar arguments. And there was no who wanted to have less border walls than Hitler (this is a serious question, not Godwins law)

Just a parallel I haven't seen raised.

Someone is cranking up the media to make more and more ludicrous false claims about Mr. Trump. The attacks started with the recount scam and have escalated. It is long past time for pushback....hard pushback.

Jan 31, 2017 at 12:13 AM | Media Hoar

In your final paragraph you query whether some of these people now, would have been those that wanted to appease Hitler back in the 1930's. I was not born until the 1960s, however I can offer an alternative view.

Many saw the rise in Fascism in the 1930s as a reason to go and fight fascism in the Spanish Civil War, leading to wonderful romanticism about the savage brutality, and linking Soviet Communism to the solution to Hitler. The extent of damage done to British interests during WW2 by Soviet sympathisers and spies is open for debate, but after WW2, it was not just British Intelligence operations and interests that suffered damage.

Brexit and Trump do represent a backlash against the Progressive Centre-Left. It remains to be seen how the voters in other EU countries react to the forced feeding of anti Trump and Brexit rhetoric.

Moslem extremists may want to reclaim the headlines, which is in nobody's best interests, but would strengthen Trump's stance and those of other EU Exiteers

Media Hoar. I usually do not agree with most of your opinions but it would be boring to comment. However, I do agree with you about Trump's visit. It should take place but not necessarily for the reasons you suggest. What the demonstrati here fail to realize is that to ban Trump would be an insult to both the man and the office he holds. The UK is inviting the latter and is absolutely right to do so. As you pointed out, we have invited some real despots in the past, but in each case it was the office-holder that was invited.

Heh, waiting for 9/11. Europe's avoided it by calling it 11/9 and that number goes nowhere.
===============

Trump petition, pro visit.

Warren Meyer is always well worth a read when discussing things American.

http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/tag/health-care

Scott Pruitt, Trump’s E.P.A. Pick, Is Approved by Senate Committee

Feb 2, 2017 at 10:49 PM | Martin A

It will be interesting to see how this alters the price of oil, gas, and coal. They may reduce, as the value of companies producing them rises.

I can't see this benefitting those that invested in Unreliable energy.